The Bonds that Tie us — Crown of Thorns

SERIES: Crown of Thorns
CHARACTERS: Triana Lioncourt, Riyak Dimikov, HECTOR
TRIGGERS: TORTURE, BRANDING, ABUSE, VIOLENCE, MURDER(lots of murder)

This was not the first time Riyak had embarked upon a rescue mission for his protege. Truth be told, he would raze and salt the earth for that woman. But this time was different. Aura hadn’t been able to explain it, Triana had been there one moment and gone the next.

Dimikov had a bad feeling about this.

As he had put out feelers, which may have involved some light torture on his part, he had begun hearing a name that he hadn’t heard in some time.

HECTOR.

The same shadowy bastard Traheal had in his employ when Dimikov had been training Triana. the one responsible for his muse being in that sunken cellar. He had never met the man, few ever had, he existed by name and by legend.

If he was the one responsible for Triana’s capture, then Riyak certainly didn’t have a lot of time.

My little lion will hold out until I find her…I know it…

The pain in Triana’s head was immense. Whatever had happened to her, they had properly knocked her out.

Lucky for them.

Her head swims as she takes stock. Mostly bruises, a lot of them, and no broken bones.

So, yeah, I got the shit beat out of me. At least, it seems like they won’t kill me yet.

“You are awake! He will be pleased!” With a voice like nails on a chalkboard; a short, cretin of a man called out to her. He was too elated that she was awake, which ultimately did not bode well for the Lioncourt heiress. As she caught a better look at the man she could see a definitive curve to his spine and their was something about the way his green eyes almost glowed in the low-light sent chills down Triana’s spine.

It was never good when the person holding you was happy that you were awake. That meant one and only one thing. Torture. Triana could handle torture.

Whenever I find out who is holding me, I am going to choke the life out of them with my bare hands…

She knows how unhelpful these thoughts are. however, if someone was kidnapping her at this stage in her venture, then she had bigger problems.

There was one fact she knows for sure. it resounds into the core of her being. He will come for her. There was no question in her mind. One man help her complete faith. If Triana could repeat a few words she could find her center, wait this all out; whatever that took.

Dimikov will show, he always shows.

The mantra itself was hilarious, given she hated and loved that man in equal measure.

Her focus is, however, shattered as Triana is gripped by her hair and shoved into the center of the room. Manacles are locked in place around her neck and wrists. The stabbing pain after they released her hair is enough to refocus her.

“I think I’ll call you minion. That’s all you are anyway, and I am certain your boss will be in to speak with me presently.” Triana snapped her teeth, begging the little cretin to come forwards. He even begin to advance towards her.

“You don’t wanna do that, mate, right dangerous that young woman is.” She recognized that voice. Chills dance up and down her spine.

“What? Her?’ The man turned his back to her and Triana seized the moment, wrapping her ankles around his throat.

“Triana, play nice with the underlings.” He chided and she let go after a moment more. “That’s a good girl…” He cooed and it made her want to vomit.

“So he sent YOU did he?”

There is hate in Triana’s voice. There is no room for fear in this situation. Triana doesn’t possess that luxury. No she must remember three simple words and endure all else.

…he will show…

Riyak now knew for a fact that she was being held by Hector. His fist unclenched indiscriminately, listening as the man’s body he had held, hit the pavement.

No way in hell am I leaving her in the maniac’s clutches.

The building wasn’t actually that far from his current location. The smart thing to do would be to stop and plan. But fucking hell was he going to do that. He barely knew anything about the man and if there was something Dimikov hated it was unknown. So he pulled out his phone and called Aura.

“You found her?”

“Yes.” The single tightly restrained word was all she received.

“and you are going after her. Alone.” It not a question.

“Yes.”

“What do you need from me?” Aura replied seriously as a barrage of typing began.

“I need schematics to the warehouse on South Crescent. About fifteen miles from my current location.” He rushed off, covering as much ground as he could, as quickly as he could.

“Alright…I’ve got what you need. I am sending it to you now.” Aura confirmed and moments later there is a dinging sound as he sees the email pop up on his watch’s lighted display, he examined closely that it was all he needed.

“Thank you.” His voice is tight and full of barely contained rage.

“I’m not going to tell you to be careful.” This woman was a friend to both he and his muse. Aura had supplied him with his contact for asylum. He had graduated with the Kolhb’s. “I will tell you, teach him a lesson another time. Get our girl out of there. This revolution will crumble without her.”

“I’ve got it. I don't’ have to rip him to shreds. This time.” Riyak promise before hanging up on her.

As he goes over the schematics, he realizes it should be easy, he’s fought through a similar set up, it’ll just depend on how heavily guarded she was. He stuck to the rooftops as he approached the building in question. Reaching into his bag he pulled out ht thermal goggles he always carried with him. He clocks fifteen individuals spread throughout the property. He could do this in his sleep, but he’s going to have to go quiet. Which was fine.

Dimikov didn’t need a gun to make someone regret taking what was his.

Triana had been bound in a chair before hector left, promising to return to train her supple flesh. Whatever the fuck the creepy psycho had meant by that. She hates being tied up with ropes. More than anything does Triana fucking hate that. It is part of the reason the Incident at Reykjavik happened at all. why Marcus had talked her into…

Triana is snapped from her thoughts by sudden loud footfalls.

“My love, you are awake.”

“I told you not to fucking call me that.” Triana honestly expected the slap to her cheek, one that caused her chair to rock in place.

Fuck!

“I see you are as mouthy as ever, princess.” He chuckled, the sound causing chills to run down her spine.

“I won’t be here long, you know.” Triana confidently reminded him.

I need to buy time…

“You cannot believe that fool is going to come for you. I thought, you would have learned by now, my love. All Dimikov cares for is himself.”

“That’s not true.” She whispered, fear barely contained in her voice. “He will show.”

“Believe that if you wish, lovely girl, let us get started. Your skin is always so responsive.” Hector said as he walked behind her.

“What are you..? Don’t fucking touch me!”

Dimikov dropped into the hallway behind the two men here. In quick succession he slits both of their throats and they drop silently to the floor. He doesn’t have time to get caught. He pulled out his thermal goggles again. There were three more on this floor and the number increased as the floors went down. There was a shielded sub-basement, which was the most likely place for where they were keeping her. he sets down the hall swiftly, smashing one man’s face into the fire extinguisher case as he pulled the other closer and sunk his knife deep into the unfortunate man’s lungs. A hardness over took his eyes as he flipped the knife and caught it.

He didn’t have time for this shit

Fuck! Triana winced as she felt Hector’s fingers pressing into her skull, causing the bones to crack and shift, while pain exploded through her nerve endings.

“Fuck you.” She growled.

“C’mon, my love, just tell us the location of that headquarters of that idiot who’s giving you asylum and all of the pain can stop.” Hector gave a sinister chuckle.

“I’m not telling you anything.” Triana gritted through her teeth. She wasn’t about to give this monster, one that had tormented her for a majority of her life, that kind of sensitive information; so he could feed it to her father.

He chuckled and she can hear what sounds like metal clinking against metal. Her back straightened, her sense of self-preservation spiking in the odd way it does when she is in danger. it is but moments later when she can hear and smell her flesh crackle and pop. When she screamed the entire building shook and she attempted to compartmentalize the pain.

“This marks you for what you are, little lich.” Hector whispered and she can feel his sickeningly hot breath on her ear.

There is something about the perversion of Dimi’s nickname from her that sets her off. She doesn’t know how to quantify it, but suddenly she is free, across the room from Hector, presumably from those odd abilities of hers.

There is hate and rage burning in her eyes and it is all directed towards Hector.

Riyak finished snapping the man’s neck in front of him before freezing in place. the building had quaked and he recognized that scream of agony.

He began running, realizing how little time he had left. He isn’t far from the sub-basement and when he arrived outside the door he can hear her speaking, low and threatening.

“I want to know what you mean by that crack, why you called me a lich. Now!”

He didn’t like where this was going. He quickly opened the door to be pinned by her stare. Her left eye entirely golden now.

“Because, that’s what you are, my love.” His head slammed against the wall as her rage pushed him across the floor.

“Don’t FUCKING call me that!” Triana shrieked.

“Little lion…” Dimikov began uncertainly, walking until he was beside of her.

“I told him you would come for me. He didn’t believe me.”

“Always, little lion.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “But we need to get out of here now.”

“Not without paying the son of a fuck back.” She growled, staring at Hector and he began suddenly choking.

“Triana.” Dimikov’s voice is firm. “This isn’t the way to do this. You know it, I know it. You’ve done so well, with practicing control. Don’t allow your father to take that from you. Not like he has taken everything else from you.”

When she spoke, her voice is quiet and restrained. “I would really appreciate it if you would kiss me.”

They’ve been here before too.

Really it’s a modicum of control, like many things in her life. And he sighs, because gods is she a pain in his ass, but he loves this woman. He takes her by the wrist, pulling her into an all-consuming kiss that had been coming for a while. Sometime during it, Hector stopped choking and passed out instead; but rather alive.

“Thanks.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, as they pulled away, blushing darkly.

“I’ll always kiss you, princess. You just gotta ask.”

Triana let outa loud, frustrated groan as she hit him in the arm and they made their way out of the warehouse.